ticketsMember | Make a donation

The Hand of God

original model before 1895, carved ca. 1907
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 800
Rodin presents the inchoate figures of Adam and Eve cradled in God’s hand. The composition is an homage to his revered "master" Michelangelo, the Renaissance artist whose unfinished figures materializing out of rough stone symbolize the process of artistic creation. In this work, Rodin boldly equates the generative hand of God with the ingenious hand of the sculptor. When the collector B. Gerald Cantor saw The Hand of God at the Met in 1945, it initiated what has been called a "magnificent obsession." Cantor’s support of scholarship and his unparalleled gifts to American and French museums helped to revitalize interest in Rodin in the second half of the twentieth century.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Hand of God
  • Artist: Auguste Rodin (French, Paris 1840–1917 Meudon)
  • Date: original model before 1895, carved ca. 1907
  • Culture: French
  • Medium: Marble
  • Dimensions: Overall (confirmed): 29 × 23 3/4 × 25 1/4 in., 508 lb. (73.7 × 60.3 × 64.1 cm, 230.4 kg)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Gift of Edward D. Adams, 1908
  • Object Number: 08.210
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Young woman, Auguste Rodin French, Cast plaster, French
Young woman
Auguste Rodin
modeled probably before 1889, cast before 1912
Study of a hand, Auguste Rodin French, Cast plaster, French
Study of a hand
Auguste Rodin
last quarter 19th–early 20th century
Study of a hand, Auguste Rodin French, Cast plaster, French
Study of a hand
Auguste Rodin
20th century
Bust of Bellona, Auguste Rodin French, Drypoint, third state of three, before bevelled plate
Bust of Bellona
Auguste Rodin
1882–85
Bust of Bellona, Auguste Rodin French, Drypoint, third state of 3
Bust of Bellona
Auguste Rodin
1882–85

Related Content

Perspectives

Articles, audio, and video from The Met's online magazine.

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.